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Information about the Apprenticeship Levy

Does this affect my school?

The Apprenticeship Levy came into effect on 1 May 2017, and it will have an impact on your school’s budget if:

Your staff are deemed to be employed by the local authority (community schools or Voluntary Controlled)

Your school is Foundation or Voluntary Aided AND has an annual payroll bill of more than £3m

Your school is an academy or part of a multi-academy trust AND has an annual payroll bill of more than £3m

The Apprenticeship Levy does not apply to every school in the same way as there are a variety of pay bill arrangements in place.

What sort of training is available?

There are a wide range of apprenticeship training options that can be funded by the Levy either for entry-level roles or as career development for existing staff.

Supporting teaching and learning in schools

Early years educator

Lab technician

Business Administration

IT technician

Caretaker/property maintenance

PE teaching

Catering

Cleaning and support services

It is easy to search for more training options on the Apprenticeships website. The range of qualifications available is increasing all the time, so for example a teaching apprenticeship for graduate entry is in development, and due to be available in September 2018.

There is no age restriction applied to apprenticeship training. Candidates may be eligible for funding even if they have existing or higher level qualifications. Some time off normal work duties will be required. All qualifications take at least one year to complete, longer if staff are employed on a term-time only basis.

The council’s pot of Levy funding includes c.£640,000 for schools where the local authority is the employer (paying employer national insurance contributions). This money can only be used to pay for formal apprenticeship training.

Support available

Where the local authority is the employer, schools can access Levy funds via the council’s HR team. The HR team will help to identify a training provider from our approved supplier list, and provide guidance on recruitment (if applicable). For apprenticeship qualifications undertaken as CPD by existing staff, a short business case will be required before funding is agreed. Contact workforceinitiatives@oxfordshire.gov.uk